City Considers Buying Theater

March 28, 1993|By PATTI ROTH, Staff Writer

PLANTATION -- City officials are researching whether a defunct movie theater would be suitable as a recreational facility.

City Council member Edd Weiner said that renovating the former Art Cinema at Broward Mall might be less costly than building an amphitheater from scratch. The city has no specific plans to build an amphitheater, but it is an idea that has been discussed.

Weiner, who is an architect, said the movie theater might be suitable because it already has seats, parking and restrooms.

The theater at 8010 W. Broward Blvd. was closed last year, in part, because of damages caused by Hurricane Andrew. The theater chain that leased the property decided to close, rather than make repairs, a theater manager said.

The building, which is west of the mall, is owned by JMB Retail Properties Co. in Chicago. That company also owns the mall. Despite phone calls to the company, officials could not be reached for information on the price.

Last year, the Broward County property appraiser assesed the value of the property at $1.7 million.

The four-screen theater, which is 14,000 square feet on 3.6 acres, opened in 1978, the same year as the mall.

Weiner said the theater could be used not only for performances but for seminars and drama classes, which are popular recreational programs in the city.

Mayor Frank Veltri said his interest in the building would depend on its price and how much use the city would get out of it. ``A theater is a one-use building,`` he said.